Center seal for gas-works



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. P. STARKWBATHBR.

CENTER SEAL FOR GAS WORKS.

P @med June 22,1886. f7.3.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shet 2. G. P. STARKWEATHER.

CENTER SEAL EOE GAS WORKS.

No. 344,144. Patented June 22, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GLEASON F. STARKVEATHER, OF EVANSTON, ASSIGNOR TO NATHANIEL S. BOUTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CENTER SEAL FOR GAS-WORKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 344,141. dated Juno 22, 1886. Application filed October 2, 1885. Serial No. 178,520. (No model.)

iro alwtom i may concern:

Be it known that I, GLEAsoN F. STARK- WEATHER, a citizen of the United States, rel siding at Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Center Seals for Gas- Works, of which the following is a specifica` tion.

This invention relates to the center seal used in connecting the several boxes of an apparatus for purifying gas, and has the object of such a construction as to be of a compact form, and be able to shut off a box at pleasure for the purpose of being cleaned, and then, after being cleaned, again connected without disturbing the tlow ot' gas through the other boxes.

In another application for a patent, filed same day with this, I have shown the center seal with a seat having a series of outer chambers and a valve rotary thereon for directing the tlow of gas aboutthe seat. In this invention the construction is changed, in that the seat is of a more simple construction and the valve of such a construction as to receive and send off the gas to the purifyingboxes more direct, and without the use of the series of outside chambers in the seat shown in my other application.

The invention consists, first, in constructing the center seal with an improved seat having a central opening for seating the valve there in, an annular chamber for receiving and conducting the gas from the valve to the outletpipe, and having two series of pipe-thimbles, one series above the other, and the thimbles of one series arranged zigzag with the other, for connecting with the purit'yingboxes; second, an improved valve constructed with a central chamber outleting into a distributingchamber, three directingchambers, one returningchamber, and one connecting-chamber, as shown, for sending off, directing, returning, and connecting the dow of gas from the inlet-pipe through the several boxes to the outletpipe; and, third, in certain other construction and arrangementof parts, which will first be set forth in the specification and shown, and afterward pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, like letters refer to like parts in all the figures, in which- Figure l is a side elevation View of my improved center seal, showing the seat B, with the two series of thimbles arranged zigzag around the shell ofthe seat. Fig. 2 is a crosssection view of same, showingthe central vertical crossvsection View' ot' both seat B and the valve C. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view taken on the dotted line x in Fig. 1, with the part above removtd shown in crosssection, and showing the position ot' the thimbles relative to each other; also showing the construction of the uppersection ofthe valve through which the gas is passed to the several boxes ca the thimbles 1, 3, 5, and 7. Fig. 4 isa like top or plan view taken on the dotted line g/y/in Fig. 1,'showing the construction of the middle section of the valve,through which the gas is received back from the several boxes oa the lower series of thimbles,2, 4, 6, and 8. Fig. 5 is a like top or plan View, taken on the dotted line ze in Fig. 1, showing the construction of thelowersection ofthe valve,through which the gas is passed to the annular chamber c in the seat B; also showing the openingsd in the shell of said seat. Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are side views in elevation of the valve C, showing the several sides-south, west, north, and east sides, respectivelytaken as in the first position, as shown in Figs. 8, 4, 5, and 10, showing the construction of said valve, showing how it is divided into three several divisions-the upper, the middle, and the lower sectional parts-and also how the several divisions are further divided by partitions. Fig. l() is a plan View of my improved center seal with the top plate of the valve removed, showing the partitions in the upper section ofthe valve in cross-section, showing the seal connected to four puri tying-boxes, D', by the pipes dand d", and showing by the arrows how the gas travels, how the How of gas is direct from the upper section part of the valve into the four pipes d', leading to the boxes D', and showing how the gas cornes to the valve through the central chamber, e, and departs through the 'cham- 95 ber haftet' having made the circuit of the purifying-boxes. Fig. ll is a like view as Fig.

l0, with the valve rotated one-eighth part ot' a revolution in the direction of the arrow f, showing how the positions of the partitions in roo the valve have changed, and showing by the arrows how the dow of gas has been stopped from entering box D, No. l, by being made first to enter box D. No. 2,and departing from the valve after having passed box D', No. 4.

My improved center seal is constructed inV two parts, the seat B, with a central opening, and the valve C, seated in the said opening.v

In the drawings, A representsa drip-tub, a foundation for the support of the seat B, and having the intiow'pipe a and a dripovertlow pipe, g. On` the top of the said tub A. is seated the seat B, and the said seat may or may not be made in one piece with the said tub. I prefer, however,rto make them together in one piece, as shown.

l B represents the seat, consisting of a cylindrical shell or cylinder. h, provided with a vertical opening of suitable size and shape for the admission and seatingtlierein of ,they-,aire C. Thesaid openingis preferably niadesomewhat tapering from thetop to the bottom end, the'bottom .end being the smallest ,forthebetter vfitting and 'keepingof the valve tighter close-fitting.

Fort'he purpose of describing the said scat B,Iwill divideitinto section parts, as alower part, a middlev part, and an upper part. The lower 4part is tprovided `with an eXter-iorannular chamber, c,-e'xtending all around Itheshell h, with thefour openings d inithe said shell, as shown in Fig. 5, and also pnox-'ided ,with the outiow or distributing pipe ,thimbleIL The middle section part isprovided with Vthe four thimbles` 2 4.6 8, ywith Aopenings through ,the said shell, as shown, for connecting withthe purifying-boxes, and t-he upper section part is provided with the four thimbles l 8.5 7, alsolwith openings through the said shelland for connecting with the said boxes.

.It will beobserve'd that the thimbles of the.v

upper section `part `areset zigzag and above the thimblesof 4the middle 'section part, by which the gas will dow outward .from thenpper section of the valve C through theupper sectionof` thinibles 'l 3 5 7, :andv in returning dow inward through the middle section of lihimbles 2 4 6 8 and enter theniiddle section of the valve, as will be more'fully hereinafter shown.

C represents the valve,constructedwith,the central chamber, e, preferably cylindricalshaped,rand extending from the bottomto the top of the valve formed b vthe tubular pipe e. The bottom end of thesaid chainberis open -to admitlthe flow of gas from thepipe a, .and an opening,q, near .the ltop end of said pipe e', permits the gas to flow outward into the chamber D. The top end `of the saidpipe e is covered with 'the coverie, which said cover projects outward and `tillsthe ytop end ofthe. opening'in theseat B, and thebottom end of saidpipe e is provided with auront wardly-projecting rim, t', lto ll thebottom end of the said opening in the` said `seat B.

The 'said valve C I (divide into seetions-' as a .lower section, a ,middle section, and.

an upper section-and the three sections are each about one-third of the height of the valve, and are more or less divided by rims, floors, and partitions, as follows: Between thel lower section and the middle section is the rim t', as a door to the middle section, and extends about three-fourths vof the way around the said pipe e', as shown in Fig. 4, in which Fig. 4 is shown .theriin t" by the dark circular lines, 'and the clear spaces k and kwas openings to the section part below. Between the middle section and the upper section parts there is a rim or parts of a rim or flanges,jjjforming doors to the chambers, as shown in Fig. 3, in which the floors are represented by the dark circular lines and the clear spaces as openings into the middle section part below, and in which the tloorj represents the complete tlooringof the chamber D. thetloorj' as tlooring aboutA onehalt' of the chamber E, and the tloorj as dooring about onehalf of the chamber F. The said valve C is also lprovided with several vertical partitions, as follows: 4Commencingi n the center of the south side of the valve (see Fig. 6) is the partition min the upper section as joining the cover e" with .the Hoorj, and the partition m'in the lower section as joining the rim with the door 15'; then ,in the southwest, at oneeighth around the valve, is the partition n,extending fromthe bottom to the top of the valve and joining therim t with the cover 6; then in the west, at oneeighth more around thevalve, (see the center of Fig. 7,) is the vpartition n', also extending from the bottom to the top of,the,valve, and joining the rim z' with the cover e, and-also joining the floors t" andy',- then at one eighth more around the valve, to the northwest,is the partition n" Vin the middle section as joining the floor i" with the door j; then at on'efeighth morearound the valve, to the north side, (see Fig. 8,) is the partition o in the upper section as joining the door]l with the cover e; then at one-eighth more around thevalve,to the northeast,is thepartition p in the middle section as joining the door 1S with the tloorj,l then at the east side (seeFig, 9) is the partitionpin the upper section as joiningthe tloorj with the cover 6; then at the southeast side is the partition m" in the middle section as joining the door i with the oorj.

It will be observed that the pipe e', with the several partitions, floors, and cover in the said valve C, form several chambers,as follows: The central chamber, e; then the chalnberD in the upper section for receiving the gas fronrthe central chamber and distributiong or passing it outward to the first box of the series of purifying-boxes; then the three directing-chambers E, F, and la', for receiving the gas from the returning-chamber r,for receiving` the gas y after its passingthe several boxes and passing.

it out of the valve below. The peculiar form i or configuration of said chambers is outlined yby thepartitions and floors, and will be understood by inspecting the drawings, and it wiltbe observed that -thechainber D is located Aone box. and passing it to another box; then Y l solely at the northwest quarter of the upper part; that the chamber E is located in part in the northeast quarter of the upper part, and a part extending down and under the lioorj into the north quarter-section of the middle part; that the chamber F is located in part in t-he southwest quarter of the upper part, and a part extending down and under the tloorj/ into the east quarter-section of the middle part; that the chamber It isloeated in thel east half of the southwest quarter from the top to the bottom of the valve,with a recess extending under the fioorj"l into the middle part,and that the chamberk islocated in the north half of the southwest quarter from the top to the bottom of the valve. The chambers G and H are blanks, and, having no connection with the flowing gas, need not be described. The top end of the said valve may be provided with a square head, i', to which a wrench or lever may be applied to rotate the valve; and s represents a spring-bar having iis ends seated in ears t, attached to the seat, and a nutted screw-rod, u, extending from the said head through a perforation in the spring-bar, by which the operator may relieve the valve of too great a weight in its seat and the valve isless liable to stick or set too tight, as will be understood by the drawings.

In operation the center seal is rstset in position and connected with the purifying-boxes,as represented in Fig. 10, in which gure the arrows show the direction of flow of the gas, which, after entering at thimble a, will rise through the central chamber, e, and pass thence through chamber D. thimble l, and pipe d', into box No. l; thence returning through pipe d, thimble 2, into chamber E, under the iioorj; thence moving up to the upper part of the chamber E, and pass out through thimble 3 and pipe d' into box No. 2; thence returning through pipe d and thimble et into chamber F, under the lioorj; thence moving to the upper part of the chamber Rand passing out through thimble 5 and pipe d into box No. 3; thence returning through pipe d and thimble 6 into the chamber 7c', under the tioorj; thence moving t0 the upper part of the chamber 7a', and passing out through thimble 7 and pipe d into box No. 4; thence returning through pipe d and thimble Sinto the chamberc; thence moving to the bottom ofthe chamber and pass out through the opening d (see Fig. 5) into the annular chamber c, and thence away through the thimble b. Then whenever it is desired to shut offa box the valve is moved, rotating one-eigbt-h part of a revolution in the direction ot the arrow j', (see Fig. 11.) when the valve in its new position will guide and iiow the gas the same as before, except that it will pass box No. l and first enter box No. 2, as shown by the arrows in Fig. l1, thence the same as before until it arrives in chamber k', in which chamber it this time will move and pass down to the bottom of the chamber and pass out through the opening d, the same as before. Then when the box has been cleaned and it is desired to connect it again, the Valve will be again turned,the same as before,a oneeighth move, which will bring all the chambers into the same relative position as at rst, except that the valve has been rotated onequarter of a revolution, and the rst box of the new series will now be box No. 2 and the last box ot' the new series box No. l, and so on indefinitely, step after step and revolution after revolution.

Havingthus set forth my invention, Ielaiml. In a center seal for gas-works, the seat B, provided wlth a central opening, an annular chamber, and two series of thimbles, one of said series set above and zigzag with the other series, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a center seal for gas-works, the valve C, provided with a central chamber having an opening near its top end, the distributingchamber D, the three directing chambers E, F, and a, and the connecting-chamber lc, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

3. In a center seal for gas-works, the valve C, provided with a central chamber in the central part ofthe valve, and extending from the bottom to the top of the valve, the chamber D in the upper part ot' the valve, the two chambers E and F in both the upper and iniddle part of the valve, the chamber k', extending from the bottom to the top,and with va recess in the middle part of the valve, and the chamber lc, extending from the bottom to the top ot' the valve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the valve O, provided with a central chamber having a series of exterior chambers, with the seat B, having an annular chamber and two series of thimbles, and with the tub A, having the thimble a, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

GLEASON F. STARKWEATHER.

Vitnesses:

JOHN LANE, N S. BOUTON.

IOO

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